Tag: lemmikit

Welcome to Husky Park’s blog! We’re on the right track. We’ve decided to do our part, and focus on building a sustainable and responsible business. We’re already seeing the change on our winters and WE cannot just spectate. It’s a long journey, but we’ll make it, together! For us, Husky welfare comes first. Today, we check how good care we take of our Siberian Huskies!

Dog’s well-being

It is of paramount importance to us to take good care of our purebred Siberian Huskies, whose well-being and natural needs have been given special attention. The living conditions of the dogs at Husky Park are kept excellent.

Huskies are born to run, and there is nothing they like better than pulling a sled with their friends. The dogs are picked up one by one from the kennels and harnessed to their own place in front of the sled. The working day consists of safaris of different lengths, and a day’s travel can total 30–60 km. There are enough rest days even during the busy winter season. Our dogs are primarily workmates, living creatures that we value, and whose well-being is our number one priority.

Each dog has its own insulated doghouse in the kennel as a resting place, where they can have a stress-free environment. The health of each dog is checked daily during cleaning. We ensure that the dogs have social interaction with each other throughout the year. This is reflected in the placement of the kennels, the structure of sled teams, and the relationship between the dogs and the guides.

We ensure this by following the regulations set by the government, such as providing enclosures of appropriate size, cleaning the enclosures carefully every day, ensuring the dogs receive sufficient food and water, and supporting their natural behaviours. The shelters are spaced out and our park is fenced. In this way, it forms a run for dogs during the thaw. We also have many employees whose tasks include maintaining the dog’s well-being. The dogs receive regular vaccinations and health check-ups, where their well-being and fitness are assessed continuously. They are groomed, and their nails are trimmed regularly.

The dogs’ sufficient rest is guaranteed by keeping track of the running kilometers for each dog. Every dog has full rest days, and during workdays, regular breaks are taken, as sufficient rest and recovery promote muscle health. Even if a dog is eager to work, its workload and endurance are always assessed individually. Muscle soreness or stiffness in a dog can be observed by monitoring its movements in the sled team and when running free. Our guides always observe the dogs’ endurance, and if a dog is having a bad day and does not want to run, they are allowed to return to the kennel. We aim to keep the composition of sled teams as balanced as possible so that dogs in lower condition do not have to overexert themselves, and well-conditioned dogs do not need to slow down. Dogs need exercise year-round. In the summer, the dogs can run freely in the running yard in small groups in the mornings, allowing them to release energy and interact with other kennel dogs.

Work motivation is extremely important for the dogs’ mental well-being and the quality of their work. Motivation must be maintained individually, as dogs are motivated in different ways. A sled dog suited to its job loves working—running and pulling—but even good motivation must be maintained, as regaining lost motivation can be difficult. Motivation is maintained through variety, such as changes in routes, direction, different trails, and swapping positions in the team. To keep work motivation high, we sometimes relieve lead dogs of their responsibility and let them work in other positions. As the dogs approach retirement, we begin searching for retirement homes for them, mainly through social media and among locals. The dogs always retire in Finland, as they are accustomed to the climate, and, for example, flying could be mentally stressful for the dog. During the selection process, the suitability of potential new owners is carefully assessed, and they must explain what kind of home they can provide for the dog. The dog is always placed only in a safe and suitable home. For example, we ensure that active dogs do not retire to people living in apartments who cannot provide the necessary exercise. We could improve the retirement process by more actively checking in on the dog’s life with the new owner and maintaining more frequent contact. Retired dogs are allowed to stay at Husky Park for as long as it takes to find a suitable retirement home, and they can participate in activities according to their health and condition.

Our Carbon Footprint

We calculated for the first time ever our carbon footprint in 2024! We calculated first Scope 1 & 2 and result from those emissions is 19,27 tCO2e. While our calculations aren’t perfect due to some unavailable data especially regarding the Scope 3 emissions, this is a promising start. Most of our emissions come from gas, diesel and dog food. The electricity we purchase is already 100% renewable. One big change in our sustainability journey has been changing the heating from electricity to geothermal heating. Next step is to buy a cold room for dog food as we have had now just many smaller freezers. This will decrease our electricity usage even more. We also try our best to avoid food loss and and we strive to use motorized vehicles even more wisely to reduce our emissions!⚡️

Certifications

Arctic Circle Husky Park has received the Green Activities certificate, the Key Flag mark and the Sustainable Travel Finland certificate.